The 38 Best Home-Based Businesses To Start In South Carolina [2024]

Updated: January 20th, 2022

Interested in starting a business in South Carolina in 2024?

We put together 38 of the best businesses you can start in South Carolina today.

For each business idea, we’ll show you real-world examples of how you can start your profitable, home-based small business in South Carolina.

Here's the full list:

1. Start a wordpress template business ($132K/year)

Sam from Kalamazoo, MI, USA started Sam Munoz Consulting, LLC about 6 years ago, a wordpress template business.

  • Location: Kalamazoo, MI, USA
  • Revenue: $11,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 2

Case Study

Why hello there, my name is Sam and I am the owner and head developer over at Sam Munoz Consulting, LLC! We are a WordPress development company, specializing in upscale websites for high-performing businesses as well as affordable website templates called the Effortless Website Kits for new business owners & entrepreneurs.

Our purpose is to EMPOWER business owners & entrepreneurs to harness their website to work for their biz as the #1 MVP. We strive to make the tech side of the business overall less scary and overwhelming through bite-sized education, our digital products, and speaking in human terms.

We are a dynamite team of 3 tech-savvy ladies. The team includes Sam (me!) owner & lead developer, Laura Kåmark - business and project manager & Karyn Paige - head tech wizard.

how-i-started-a-9k-month-wordpress-templates-business

2. Start a marketing agency ($10.8M/year)

Brian Cohen from Charleston, South Carolina, USA started Visiture about 16 years ago, a marketing agency.

  • Location: Charleston, South Carolina, USA
  • Revenue: $900,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 100

Case Study

Hello, my name is Brian Cohen and I’m the Co-Founder and CEO of Visiture.

Visiture is an award-winning eCommerce marketing agency, headquartered in Charleston, SC We are one of the fastest-growing agencies in the retail vertical - landing at #753 on the 2019 Inc. 5000 list. Currently, we represent over 140 merchants comprised of brand manufacturers, CPG’s and retailers - including, Spanx, Gerber Childrenswear, Southern Tide, BarkBox, Cross Pens, Park Seed, Death Wish Coffee, allheart and more.

To date, Visiture has three core service offerings: PPC Management, SEO Management, and eCommerce Web Development. When I started the company in my garage 11 years ago, Visiture had a total of three employees, and we primarily focused on PPC management for lead generation and local businesses. I kept it as a lifestyle company with 7-9 full-time employees until 5 years ago when I decided to focus exclusively on eCommerce.

how-i-started-a-marketing-agency-that-grows-at-84-with-1mm-monthly-revenue

3. Start a drinkware brand

Teddy Giard from Clemson, South Carolina, USA started Kanga almost 7 years ago, a drinkware brand.

  • Location: Clemson, South Carolina, USA
  • Starting Costs: $$50K
  • Founders: 5
  • Employees: 8

Case Study

What’s up! My name’s Teddy Giard and I’m a Junior Marketing major at Clemson University and a co-founder of Kanga Coolers.

At Kanga, we invented the world's first iceless cooler designed to fit around an entire case of 12 oz. beverages (12 & 24 packs). Our customers are beer drinkers, tailgaters, outdoorsmen, and generally anyone looking to have a good time and keep their beverages frosty on the go!

After airing on Shark Tank average sales and revenue are hard to assume, that being said we are approaching our one year of operation and have officially brought on two full-time employees. We are beyond excited to see where this journey takes us and more importantly it’s humbling to take a salary from a company you put your own blood and sweat into.

how-we-launched-a-beer-cooler-and-landed-a-deal-with-mark-cuban

4. Start a retail business ($24K/year)

Liz Martin from Charleston, South Carolina, USA started Charleston Weekender over 8 years ago, a retail business.

  • Location: Charleston, South Carolina, USA
  • Revenue: $2,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0

Case Study

I’m Liz Martin, a multi-hyphenate living in Charleston, SC. I run a lifestyle blog called The Charleston Weekender. In 2017 I co-founded a balloon & gift shop called Cannonborough Collective, which is now the only place where you can find my lifestyle brand.

My first product was the Turkish towel, which I like to refer to as “the perfect weekend companion”. I’ve since expanded my offerings at my brick and mortar store to mostly include home decor & gift items, as well as modern souvenirs for the Charleston tourist. Visitors make up about 80+% of my customer base, so even though some prints and postcards I sell are old to me, they are new to my customers and continue to sell season after season.

Today my revenue is comprised of a combination of sponsorships with other brands, the sales from my shop, and 1:1 instagram growth workshops that I offer to other business owners who want to grow their social media presence. My growth isn’t monumental, but from 2017 to 2018 I doubled my revenue from about 35k to 70k.

how-narrowing-my-focus-helped-me-double-my-revenue

5. Start a diagnostic tools business ($50.4M/year)

Tyler Robertson from Irmo, South Carolina, USA started Diesel Laptops almost 9 years ago, a diagnostic tools business.

  • Location: Irmo, South Carolina, USA
  • Revenue: $4,200,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 180

Case Study

My name is Tyler Robertson, and I’m the founder and CEO of Diesel Laptops.

We are a B2B company, and our business is selling diesel diagnostic hardware, software, and services to the trucking and off-highway diesel industry market.

The business originally was started with the idea of making it easier for customers to purchase the products and services they needed. As time went on, I started to create our own software and services that would support the customers. Since I quit my “regular” job to launch this company, we’ve successfully doubled revenue each year.

diesel-laptops-from-selling-on-ebay-to-making-20m-year

6. Start a multi-tool brand ($504K/year)

Mike Scully from Greenville, South Carolina, USA started Lever Gear about 9 years ago, a multi-tool brand.

  • Location: Greenville, South Carolina, USA
  • Revenue: $42,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 3

Case Study

Hi guys. I’m Mike Scully, founder of Lever Gear. We design “everyday carry” tools and accessories that are easy to carry and help people get things done.

Our first product, the Toolcard Pro, is a credit card sized multi tool with 40 tools including an optional snap-on money clip. It slips easily into your wallet or it can be your wallet.

We launched the Toolcard Pro on Kickstarter in Spring of 2016 raising just over $100k through crowdfunding.

inventing-a-keychain-tool-and-growing-to-42k-month

7. Start a publishing business ($18M/year)

Adam Witty from Charleston, South Carolina, USA started Advantage Media over 18 years ago, a publishing business.

  • Location: Charleston, South Carolina, USA
  • Revenue: $1,500,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 81

Case Study

Adam Witty is the Founder & CEO of Advantage|ForbesBooks and has built the company into one of the largest business book publishers in America, serving over 1,500 Authors in all 50 U.S. states and 63 countries.

Advantage was on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s most rapidly growing private companies seven out of the past eight years. In addition to his work with Advantage|ForbesBooks, Witty is a sought-after speaker, teacher, and consultant on marketing and business growth techniques for entrepreneurs and authors. He's shared the stage with Steve Forbes, Gene Simmons of KISS, and Alan Mulally. He's been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, USA Today, and more. He was named to Young Presidents’ Organization 40 Under 40, 50 Most Progressive, and named to the 2011 Inc. magazine 30 Under 30 list of “America’s coolest entrepreneurs.”

how-i-started-a-1-5m-month-publishing-and-marketing-company

8. Start an audio sharing app ($1.2M/year)

Baird Hall from Charleston, South Carolina, USA started Wavve about 7 years ago, an audio sharing app.

  • Location: Charleston, South Carolina, USA
  • Revenue: $100,000/ month
  • Founders: 3
  • Employees: 0

Case Study

Howdy! I’m Baird. 👋🤠 I’m a sales guy that loves all things tech but can’t code (I tried. Not for me). I am also a marketer, but I’m not sure exactly how that came to be. I’m a husband and a dad. I love building companies that let me be those things more and provide value to others.

I am a founder at Wavve, Zubtitle, and a founding partner at Lofi Ventures.

Most of my day job is running Wavve alongside Nick Fogle & Rob Moore. Wavve is a SaaS product that helps podcasters, musicians, and other audio creators to promote their content on social media. We do that through two products:

how-we-launched-a-75k-month-audio-sharing-app-for-podcasters

9. Start a stuffed animals business ($120K/year)

Justin Baum from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA started ZZZ Bears over 8 years ago, a stuffed animals business.

  • Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
  • Revenue: $9,999/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$5K
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0

Case Study

My full-time job is in advertising. (Think Don Draper with less Brylcreem,) And from 2005 to 2012, I worked at JWT, the United States Marine Corps’ longtime ad agency. As the Creative Director, I was in charge of recruitment advertising - writing the television commercials, print ads, billboards, etc - for the Marines during two of the most unpopular wars in our nation’s history.

Every time I’d go to a Marine base to film a commercial, I’d bring my then 5-year-old daughter back a small gift from the Marine Exchange. At the time, she was having trouble sleeping - bad dreams, fear of the dark, monsters under the bed - the usual fears of a young kid.

So I bought her a teddy bear and told her a story.

how-i-built-a-teddy-bear-business-helping-military-kids-sleep-at-night

10. Start a junk removal business ($300K/year)

Sam Evans from Pennsylvania, USA started You Call We Haul Junk Removal almost 8 years ago, a junk removal business.

  • Location: Pennsylvania, USA
  • Revenue: $25,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$1.7K
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 3

Case Study

My name is Sam Evans. I am 23 years old and a recent graduate from Penn State Altoona. I am the founder of You Call We Haul Junk Removal, a junk removal company that removes anything from single items to hoarder home cleanouts. We’re located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and have been in business (part-time) since May of 2016.

We service any and everyone who may have unneeded items they are looking to get rid of. People often ask what items we consider junk, to us junk is anything you no longer need or want.

Our main customers are middle-aged and up adults, typically with a higher income that do not want to or are unable to do the work themselves. We complete over 75 jobs per month, bring in about $20,000 in revenue per month profiting about 65% per job.

how-i-started-a-18k-month-junk-removal-company-before-graduating-from-college

11. Start a craft photography business ($76.8K/year)

suzanne kaltbaum from Lake Mary, FL, USA started Suzann K Fine Art about 7 years ago, a craft photography business.

  • Location: Lake Mary, FL, USA
  • Revenue: $6,400/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$6.5K
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0

Case Study

My name is Suzann Kaltbaum, I am a fine art photographer.

“I just snap and go”. Intuition is an entrepreneur’s secret weapon. What started as a passion project, travel photography has turned into a lucrative business.

how-i-started-a-late-career-making-thought-provoking-art-that-generates-6k-month

12. Start a specialty food business ($1.2M/year)

Stacey Schlaman from Alabama, USA started Liberated Specialty Foods almost 9 years ago, a specialty food business.

  • Location: Alabama, USA
  • Revenue: $100,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 20

Case Study

I’m Stacey, founder and President of Liberated Specialty Foods, based in the quiet town of Madison, Alabama. We run a food manufacturing business making a full line of baked food (made mainly from nut flours) like almond flour pizza crust, cashew bread, and coconut flour donuts, along with additive-free sauces like ketchup and pizza sauce; with the specific mission to help those suffering from autoimmune diseases like Crohn’s and Colitis, that ALSO fill the niche of Keto, Paleo, Atkins, and other trending diets.

We sell online and to retailers. We went from about 100 retailers with our products in 2016 to over 1,000 today, including major chains from Whole Foods and Sprouts to Wal-Mart -- and we hope to keep adding more!

how-i-started-a-100k-month-food-for-auto-immune-sufferers-business

13. Start a candle business ($1.68M/year)

DShawn Russell from Raeford, North Carolina, USA started Southern Elegance Candle Company about 8 years ago, a candle business.

  • Location: Raeford, North Carolina, USA
  • Revenue: $140,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 20

Case Study

Hello! My name is D’Shawn Russell and I am the founder and CEO of Southern Elegance Candle Company. I started the company 4 years ago as a side hustle to make some extra money on the weekends and to get me out of the house. But it quickly grew to much more than I expected.

Southern Elegance Candle Company is all about loving and living in the South. We created home fragrance products that all have a southern theme to them and all of our fragrances are based on Southern agriculture. Apple? Check! Pine? Check! Cotton (or course) Check! Missing the Southern Sunshine? We got a fragrance for you. Our core group of customers are women that live in the South or people that appreciate Southern culture.

Our flagship products at the moment are our candles. We offer three different sizes; travel tin, mason jar and large tumbler. We also have wax melts and room spray. But, we will be slowly rolling out new products over the next year to include an apparel line.

how-i-started-a-20k-month-southern-inspired-candle-business

14. Become a shopify app developer ($780K/year)

Todd Trimakas from Charlotte, North Carolina, USA started ByteStand about 8 years ago, a shopify app developer.

  • Location: Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
  • Revenue: $65,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$50K
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 1

Case Study

Hi, my name is Todd and I’m a serial entrepreneur. After a long history of building various businesses, I created ByteStand, a friendly software development company run by ecommerce nerds who get excited about weird things like “cross-platform integrations” and “fulfillment networks” and “coffee”.

We design Shopify apps, with three apps currently in the app store and over 2,000 shops using our software. Our two main apps are ByteStand and FBA Shipping, which were designed to help Amazon sellers diversify and generate more revenue by importing their Amazon inventory to Shopify and exporting their Shopify orders to Amazon for fulfillment.

We also created FreshCredit, Shopify's first true store credit app. Between all three apps, we generate about $17,000/month in revenue.

how-i-taught-myself-how-to-code-and-built-my-own-business

15. Start a tutoring business ($1.2M/year)

Adam Shlomi from Miami, FL, USA started SoFlo Tutors almost 5 years ago, a tutoring business.

  • Location: Miami, FL, USA
  • Revenue: $100,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$100
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 2

Case Study

Hey! I'm Adam Shlomi, founder of SoFlo SAT Tutoring. I went to Georgetown University, scored 1570/1600 on the SAT, and now SoFlo annually brings in 6 figures in income.

At SoFlo we offer online SAT/ACT prep to students around the world and now have 100 tutors on our team, but I founded SoFlo a little more than two years ago in my room, where I was bedridden and recovering from ankle surgery with doctors saying I may never walk again.

how-we-grew-revenue-and-profit-by-600-in-2020

16. Start an online food business ($1.2M/year)

Ethan Holmes from Cleveland, Ohio, USA started Holmes Mouthwatering about 9 years ago, an online food business.

  • Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
  • Revenue: $100,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$5K
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 3

Case Study

My name is Ethan Holmes. I’m from Shaker Heights, Ohio and I am the 25-year-old founder and CEO of Holmes Mouthwatering Applesauce.

Holmes is an all natural applesauce product I created at the age of 15 and have since grown to hundreds of grocery stores throughout the Midwest.

how-an-entrepreneur-from-ohio-launched-his-own-applesauce-company

17. Start a chimney repair business ($252K/year)

Mitchell Blackmon from Blue Ridge, Georgia, USA started Patriot Chimney over 5 years ago, a chimney repair business.

  • Location: Blue Ridge, Georgia, USA
  • Revenue: $21,000/ month
  • Founders: 3
  • Employees: 5

Case Study

Hi everyone, my name is Mitchell and I’m one of the three founders of Patriot Chimney. We sweep, repair, and build chimneys and also service and repair dryer vents around the Roanoke Valley in Virginia.

We created the company in order to provide really, really awesome, transparent, and trustworthy chimney and dryer vent services in our region. You see, chimney companies don’t typically receive a positive reputation and we’re out to change that. In fact, we’ve been fortunate enough to provide our services to more than 350 homes in an area that spans from Lynchburg, VA all the way down to Blacksburg, VA. What’s more is that we’ve also been able to generate more than $212,000 in revenue during our first year, with 8% of that being net profit.

I studied marketing in college, but my experience in the past few years has been a mix between marketing and sales, so my focus is primarily around building the sales and marketing strategy for us. My brother (Matt) and a friend of his (Billy) focus on the operations, actually getting on the roof and doing some real dirty work.

how-i-started-a-21k-month-chimney-service-company-while-working-full-time

18. Start a leather business ($48K/year)

Jamie Clawson from New York, USA started Jamie Clawson almost 13 years ago, a leather business.

  • Location: New York, USA
  • Revenue: $4,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 1

Case Study

Hi I’m Jamie Clawson, and I run Jamie Clawson - a small business designing and producing leather products and accessories. I do everything from designing, testing, manufacturing, shipping etc. All operations are done in house.

My main product line is leather skins for Apple products - iPhone, MacBook, iPad, etc. My premium leather accessories mediate between technology and a way of life that champions quality, craft, and traditional aesthetics.

My products reintroduce an enduring look and feel to the devices you use most and love best. I source the finest grade leathers from respected New York City-based purveyors. The pressure-sensitive adhesive, custom ordered from 3M, simplifies the process of application and respects your device, leaving no residue upon removal. Each product can be applied and reapplied multiple times to the same or similar devices.

being-a-solo-founder-and-manufacturing-your-own-products

19. Start a cocktail ingredient business ($540K/year)

Christopher Thomas from Nashville, Tennessee, USA started Eli Mason over 9 years ago, a cocktail ingredient business.

  • Location: Nashville, Tennessee, USA
  • Revenue: $45,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$10K
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0

Case Study

My name is Christopher Thomas. I am the managing partner and co-owner of a cocktail mixer brand called Eli Mason. We make premium cocktail mixers and syrups using real ingredients like cane sugar and premium bitters in Nashville, Tennessee.

Our flagship product is The Old Fashioned Cocktail Mixer. Just mix it with your favorite whiskey and you have a delicious Old Fashioned in less than 30 seconds. We have two main customers. Our first customer is someone who enjoys a delicious cocktail, but they don’t want the hassle of figuring out the right ratios of sugar to bitters, should they muddle fruit or not, we make it super easy for them to make a consistent and delicious Old Fashioned in less than 30 seconds. Our second customer is the cocktail enthusiast who loves making cocktails from scratch in their home, but sometimes they just want EASY. We give them that EASY option for a solid drink made with real ingredients.

how-we-grew-revenue-to-600k-and-launched-a-new-product-this-year

20. Start a web testing software ($38.4K/year)

Fitz Nowlan from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA started Reflect almost 5 years ago, a web testing software.

  • Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
  • Revenue: $3,200/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 3

Case Study

Hi there! My name is Fitz Nowlan and I am one of two co-founders of Reflect. Reflect creates and manages automated web regression tests to verify a web application's appearance and functionality. Using Reflect, you can create automated web tests that replicate how a user actually uses your web application---all without writing a line of code. The benefits are two-pronged: 1) creating a Reflect test is faster than using a code-based automation tool, and 2) anyone in your organization can create a test because it requires no programming. Thus, businesses improve the quality of their web applications while simultaneously saving time and allowing anyone to contribute to their testing efforts.

Our customers are technology companies who sell either B2B, or B2C, and deliver their services or products through their web application. Therefore, they have a critical dependency on their web application behaving as expected in order for them to make money. They’ll usually have employees test (i.e., use) their web application to ensure it’s working, but the testers can range from technical folks like web developers and testing engineers, to non-technical folks like marketing and SEO specialists. As a result of the varied technical skills of application testers, we decided to make Reflect zero-code and zero-installation. This means anyone can use Reflect without coding or downloading anything, and create a test with nothing more than a URL!

Our customers access Reflect through a monthly, pay-as-you-go subscription that includes creating, executing and managing their suite of web tests. Reflect has been publicly available since November 2019 and generates around $3K in monthly recurring revenue. The cost of a subscription scales based on the number of test executions and the month-to-month plans range from ~$100/mo to $1,000/mo or more for our Enterprise customers. Our most exciting statistic is that we have not lost a customer yet!

how-we-launched-a-3-2k-month-automated-software-for-testing-websites

21. ($204K/year)

Natalie Kay Costello from Jacksonville, FL, USA started Sustainably Chic over 9 years ago, .

  • Location: Jacksonville, FL, USA
  • Revenue: $17,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$3K
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 1

Case Study

Hi! My name is Natalie, and I help people build conscious wardrobes through my blog Sustainably Chic. It’s the ultimate destination for everything in a sustainable fashion. From learning what it is to brands who produce it, you can find all of that information on my blog. Sustainably Chic is here to show you fashion can exist responsibly.

While I mainly write about women’s fashion, I also speak about men’s fashion, children’s fashion, fashion in the home, and green beauty. I find fashion to be everywhere in life, so it’s important to touch on every little aspect I can. Most importantly, almost anything you use has a sustainable option, and Sustainably Chic is here to showcase it.

on-growing-a-blog-about-sustainable-fashion-to-60k-monthly-visitors-and-6k-month-in-revenue

22. Start a respirator mask business ($1.08M/year)

Michael Vahey from Virginia, USA started Breathe Healthy over 14 years ago, a respirator mask business.

  • Location: Virginia, USA
  • Revenue: $90,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 3

Case Study

My name is Michael, and I’m the owner of Breathe Healthy.

As a kid, I ran a lawn and field mowing business. Unfortunately, I also had allergies. There were times when I would be in the fields all day, but then had to come home with my eyes swelled shut because of my allergies. I tried masks, but they were uncomfortable, and not very easy for a kid to keep on his face.

A more urban lifestyle and career kept me away from the worst of my allergies until I entered the military. Once again, time “out in the field” brought back my allergies with a vengeance. While serving in a desert environment, we often had to operate in sandstorms and high dust and dirt environments. Often, a shirt or rag wrapped around the face was what we used to protect ourselves.

starting-a-90k-month-respirator-mask-business

23. Start a construction company ($4.2M/year)

Clifton Muckenfuss from Apex, North Carolina, USA started Carolina Exteriors over 13 years ago, a construction company.

  • Location: Apex, North Carolina, USA
  • Revenue: $350,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$3.5K
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 10

Case Study

I’m Clifton Muckenfuss, I am Co-Founder of Carolina Exteriors, a Specialty Replacement Contractor based in Apex, NC, serving the Raleigh Metro Area. Carolina Exteriors offers residential home improvement services including Roofing, Siding, Windows, Doors, and Gutters. We believe that if we “build people, we build a winning team and combined, we Build Exceptional Customer Experiences. Our dedication to our people and customers and execution on our mission has led to us receiving numerous industry awards for customer service.

Carolina Exteriors was founded in 2010 amidst the last housing crisis and recession. We realized and understood that most contractors were great carpenters or “tradesmen” but not savvy business owners, and many found themselves overleveraged and without a sustainable business model. We [founders] drew from our previous business experience in Sales, Management, Customer Service and Operations Management to create a “customer first” company backed by systems and processes.

We bootstrapped the business on $3,500 and now 9 years later generate $4,000,000 in revenue.

growing-an-exterior-remodeling-company-from-3-5k-to-9m-year

24. Start a seo agency ($336K/year)

Russell Michelson from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA started Paper Box SEO over 7 years ago, a SEO agency.

  • Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
  • Revenue: $28,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 2

Case Study

My name is Russell Michelson and I’m the founder of Paper Box SEO. We’re a boutique SEO agency based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Unlike most SEO agencies, we focus 100% of our efforts on SEO and don’t work in other types of online marketing like PPC or social media.

Most of our clients are small to medium-sized businesses who want to grow their organic traffic and get more customers. We almost exclusively work long term contracts for a fixed monthly fee. Our packages are all-inclusive, meaning they include on-page optimization, content creation, link building, and monthly reporting. At the moment, we’re doing $20k/month in revenue and our team consists of me, a full-time employee, and a part-time contractor who is our dedicated writer. We also have an accountant and web developer who we use on an as-needed basis.

how-i-started-a-28k-month-boutique-seo-company

25. Start a skin care product line ($24K/year)

Meredith Moseley-Bennett & Yolanda Grbic from Glen Ridge, New Jersey, USA started Oh My Balm about 7 years ago, a skin care product line.

  • Location: Glen Ridge, New Jersey, USA
  • Revenue: $2,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$10K
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 0

Case Study

Oh My Balm was founded two years ago and we make kitchen-crafted all-natural body products. Our tagline is “Two Mom’s Making it Real.”

Those two moms are us: Meredith Moseley-Bennett and Yolanda Grbic, and this is our side hustle. Meredith has worked for a non-profit in the entertainment business and before that was a costume designer for theatre, film, and television. Yolanda has been a middle school teacher for 19 years and going in Jersey City school system. Between us, we have 3 kids (12, 10 & 7), two dogs, two cats, 3 guppies, 5 goldfish and a parakeet. The kids tag along with us to craft fairs, sort containers and stick on labels; the 12-year-old is great at recon at craft fairs and the 10-year-old is already a pro at merchandise display. The first-grader gets extra math lessons by helping on inventory day and loves to count drops as they go into what we create. For a video about our crew, check out TEAMOMB.

how-two-moms-started-a-business-selling-homemade-body-butter

26. Start a hvac equipment shop ($4.5M/year)

Mike Luongo from Ohio, USA started Total Home Supply about 14 years ago, a HVAC equipment shop.

  • Location: Ohio, USA
  • Revenue: $375,000/ month
  • Founders: 5
  • Employees: 5

Case Study

My name is Mike Luongo and I am the Managing Member of Total Home Supply in Fairfield, NJ. Total Home Supply was founded in 2010 by a group of disgruntled people working for other Internet companies. We were not happy with the direction of these companies so we got together under a common concept of creating a company that would treat our customers the way we would like to be treated.

Since we sell heating and cooling products that can be purchased elsewhere, we knew we needed to find a compelling reason for customers to choose us. We also knew that just selling cheap was not the answer so we became the leader in customer service, both before and after the sale.

The above is why we have double-digit growth while our competitors struggle to maintain the volume from previous years.

how-5-founders-left-their-jobs-to-start-a-4-5m-heating-cooling-business

27. Start a meme-based product ($162K/year)

James Reina + Davis Harari from New York, USA started The Nut Button over 6 years ago, a meme-based product.

  • Location: New York, USA
  • Revenue: $13,500/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 0

Case Study

We’re Davis Harari and James Reina and we’re the co-founders of The Nut Button.

So, what is The Nut Button?

Our core product is a push button toy based off of the popular “NUT” meme. Our success is largely due to the inherently viral nature of the product - when people see a funny meme, they want to share it with their friends.

how-we-created-a-product-based-on-a-meme-and-made-100k

28. Start a clothing boutique

Savitra from Smyrna, GA, USA started New Era of Style about 5 years ago, a clothing boutique.

  • Location: Smyrna, GA, USA
  • Starting Costs: $$4.5K
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0

Case Study

Hello! My name is Savitra and I am the owner of the influential online boutique New Era of Style, LLC. New Era of Style is a mid-priced online boutique that is dedicated to catering to the fashion needs of working professional men and women.

New Era of Style is a Career and Lifestyle brand. Our selections are versatile and transition with the busy schedules of our customers. Our best-selling items include our selection of tops, vegan-leather bags, and wardrobe accessories. We work with several unique wholesalers and designers to bring the best in fashion. To create exclusivity with our merchandise, we offer a limited inventory of selected items.

on-starting-a-men-s-and-women-s-online-boutique-while-working-a-full-time-job

29. Start a wedding rental business

Marie Kubin from Miami, FL, USA started RENT MY WEDDING about 12 years ago, a wedding rental business.

  • Location: Miami, FL, USA
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees:

Case Study

I am originally from Appleton, Wisconsin and now reside in Miami, Florida. I earned my Bachelor’s Degree with majors in Marketing and Management at the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. Afterward, I completed a Juris Doctor degree at the University of Maryland School of Law, and am a member of the Florida Bar.

Only start a business if you are ready to put in the hard work and make sacrifices to (maybe) achieve success.

I started RENT MY WEDDING nearly 10 years ago while planning my own wedding. I was frustrated with the fact that there were no online shopping options for wedding rentals. And I was also disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to have wedding lighting for my reception because the high cost of full-service lighting vendors didn’t fit in the budget. Determined to find a way to get wedding lighting, I decided to purchase my own professional event lighting. At the time, there was no information about what equipment to use or how to operate it. After extensive research and testing, I finally figured out the “secret recipe” for wedding lighting. To recoup my costs on purchasing the equipment, I started posting classified ads on Weddingbee, offering to loan out the lighting along with instructions on how to use it. The response was overwhelming, and soon I was buying even more lighting than I needed for my own wedding! Initially, I ran the business out of my apartment. It finally reached a point where there was not enough space in the apartment or time in the day to keep up with all the orders. Having recently completed law school and passed the bar exam, I knew that pursuing a career as an attorney would be the safe bet. But I took the plunge and started my own company! I couldn’t be happier with that decision. The company has now become the largest online event rental company in the U.S., with the most 5-star reviews of any company in the industry. I have truly found her passion for helping others create the weddings and events of their dreams.

on-starting-the-largest-online-event-rental-business

30. Become a temporary tattoo artist ($12K/year)

Anslea from Atlanta, GA, USA started Forgotten Mermaids over 5 years ago, a temporary tattoo artist.

  • Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
  • Revenue: $1,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$100
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0

Case Study

Hey there! So excited to be going over everything that’s happened this last year. My name is Anslea and I run Forgotten Mermaids, a brand of temporary tattoos inspired by mermaids, designed by humans. Our tattoos give the illusion of mermaid scales so even if you’re not ready to commit to the mermaid lifestyle, you can still add a little mermaid magic to your every-day outfit. Currently, we have two tattoo styles available in six colors, alongside a variety of clothing items such as leggings and swimsuits that share this same scale pattern.

We started the year with big plans for expanding our sales channels and product line, but due to COVID-19 our timeline was pushed way back and ultimately we had to change our vision quite drastically. Thankfully, since the business was built on the premise of being adaptable, adjusting to our new reality was relatively painless and has since opened up opportunities we otherwise wouldn't have explored.

Currently, we’ve seen a 40% increase in sales compared to this time last year and hope to keep that trending upwards with new products and expanded marketing tactics.

forgotten-mermaids-update-how-we-ve-grown-sales-by-40

31. Start an ecommerce platform ($1.2M/year)

Nick and Angelica from Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA started Romans Tide almost 9 years ago, an ecommerce platform.

  • Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA
  • Revenue: $100,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$20
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 5

Case Study

My name is Nick and I am the founder of Romans Tide. My business started out selling on eBay in early 2015, by November we moved to Amazon. Our method of selling was 100% arbitrage back then.

By 2017 we did over $1,000,000 in revenue on the Amazon platform. I had no idea what I had gotten into. I had no business experience and had no idea how to manage all this money flowing through the business.

Now we have our own Private Label Products, a couple of wholesale accounts (pursuing more), and a full-scale countrywide Retail Arbitrage operation that generates six figures a month in revenue with 20-25% profit margins.

A lot of people say “you can’t scale Retail Arbitrage”. We prove them wrong on a daily basis.

Nowadays, Romans Tide is becoming more of a distributor for my other product creations and brands. My journey in E-Commerce has had me sell everything from toys and clothes to trampolines and patio sets. We sell to all types of customers so that led me to develop my own brands.

Right now we have:

Java Advisor - Sells coffee, tea, and related products @JavaAdvisor

Mind Your Grind - Started out as my personal blog but is being turned into a sales channel for customers focused on health, fitness, and mindset. @Mind_Your_Grind

RTX (in development) - This is my Sports and Outdoor Brand focused on serving the customers involved in extreme sports. My love for riding waves is what fuels this project

how-i-started-a-private-label-small-business-generating-six-figures-a-month

32. Start a digital agency ($6M/year)

Billy Ash from New Jersey, USA started Todays Business over 12 years ago, a digital agency.

  • Location: New Jersey, USA
  • Revenue: $500,000/ month
  • Founders: 3
  • Employees: 40

Case Study

My name is Billy Ash and I’m the Co-Founder and Chief Digital Officer of Today’s Business. We are a full-service digital marketing agency. We are one of the only full service digital and affiliate marketing agencies in the world.

Our flagship services are search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), website development & maintenance, affiliate marketing program management, social media marketing, creative design, athlete/influencer marketing, and email marketing. Our customers span across a variety of industries but a few of the most prominent include:

  • Physician groups & hospitals
  • Multi-Specialty
  • Orthopedics
  • Physical Therapy
  • Dental
  • Women’s Health
  • Real-Estate
  • E-commerce & direct to consumer brands
  • Apparel/Fashion
  • Food & Beverage
  • Supplements
  • Tech & SaaS
  • Consumer Packaged Goods

how-i-started-a-500k-month-full-service-digital-and-affiliate-marketing-agency

33. Start a credit card comparison website

Adam Van Wie from Jacksonville Beach, Florida, USA started Van Wie Financial almost 9 years ago, a credit card comparison website.

  • Location: Jacksonville Beach, Florida, USA
  • Starting Costs: $$25K
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 3

Case Study

Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be an entrepreneur. My Dad owned several companies when I was young, and when I graduated from college, I planned on getting started in corporate America and then eventually starting my own business.

One of the keys to survival is to not get too discouraged by the bad days, no matter how bad it might seem at the time.

In 2001, my Dad went to work with a financial planning firm, and then in 2014, I joined him. We quickly realized that we wanted to run things a different way, so in November of 2014 we set out on our own and Van Wie Financial was born.

on-starting-a-free-only-independent-financial-advisory-firm

34. Start a woodworking business ($240K/year)

Jared Waters from Portland, OR started Mini Materials almost 9 years ago, a woodworking business.

  • Location: Portland, OR
  • Revenue: $20,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 2

Case Study

My name is Mat Hofma, and I created Mini Materials. We sell miniature masonry and woodworking supplies like cinder blocks, red bricks, pallets, lumber, and even molds to pour your own cinder blocks.

Our best seller is by far the pallet of miniature cinder blocks. From Day 1 - when I posted my development story to Reddit - the general consensus has always seemed to be "I didn't think I'd ever want to buy a pallet of mini cinder blocks, but now that I see it, I really need it."

Since then we've expanded to different styles of mini masonry and even kits to build models.

i-make-20k-month-selling-tiny-cinder-blocks-online

35. Start a meal prep business ($3.6M/year)

Michael Martinez from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA started Eat Clean LLC about 9 years ago, a meal prep business.

  • Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
  • Revenue: $300,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 68

Case Study

My name is Michael Martinez, the owner and founder of Eat Clean, a healthy meal delivery service located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We prepare healthy meals with all-natural and organic ingredients, then deliver meals directly to the consumer's doorstep.

Our customers are typically 25-44-year-old professionals that are too busy to cook or want to live a healthy lifestyle. We opened for business back in January 2015 with just three of us in a shared commercial kitchen space. We have now grown to monthly revenue to over $300k per month in sales.

on-moving-to-a-mobile-home-to-save-and-start-a-300k-month-healthy-meals-delivery-service

36. Become a chocolate maker ($144K/year)

Sarah Gross Feoli from New York, USA started Rescue Chocolate about 14 years ago, a chocolate maker.

  • Location: New York, USA
  • Revenue: $12,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0

Case Study

I’m Sarah Gross Feoli, the founder and owner of Rescue Chocolate. While our products are only for humans to enjoy, we donate all profits to various animal rescue organizations. I began the company in January 2010, and in the past 8 years have partnered with hundreds of different rescue groups on fundraising.

All of our chocolate bars and truffles are vegan, fairly traded, organic, handcrafted in small batches in Brooklyn NY, and delicious. Each flavor highlights a different issue important in the realm of animal rescue. For example, Peanut Butter Pit Bull calls attention to the fallacies of breed-specific legislation. The Fix urges people to spay and neuter their dogs and cats as the most important step in reducing the numbers of homeless animals. There are links on our website where our customers can get more information about these issues.

selling-dog-themed-chocolate-and-donating-all-profits-to-animal-rescue

37. Start an online language coaching business ($2.88K/year)

Marlena Jorn from Windermere, FL, USA started Marlena Jorn Tutors over 3 years ago, an online language coaching business.

  • Location: Windermere, FL, USA
  • Revenue: $240/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$300
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 1

Case Study

My name is Marlena Jorn and I am the founder of Marlena Jorn Tutors. I offer private, one-on-one German lessons to both children and adults. I currently have a website and a Facebook page. I teach my lessons through Zoom and PowerPoint, and after every lesson, I provide the student with the PowerPoint with my voice attached to it so they can practice the vocabulary/grammar between lessons.

I currently have three students, and I am currently working on building rapport and a solid clientele. Throughout my own education, I have seen a decline in the availability of the German language. I aim to reverse that and make German available to anyone interested.

on-starting-a-private-german-lessons-online-service

38. Start an online t-shirt business ($60K/year)

Chris Durso from New Jersey, USA started The Foodnited States over 6 years ago, an online t-shirt business.

  • Location: New Jersey, USA
  • Revenue: $5,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0

Case Study

My name is Chris Durso and I am the creator and owner of The Foodnited States. The concept behind The Foodnited States is U.S. States made from food and renamed with a proper pun. Believe it or not, the idea was first suggested by my then 8-yr-old son, Cameron.

Our main product is t-shirts -- and we also have stickers, fridge magnets, coffee mugs, and posters. Although tees bring in the most revenue, our stickers seem to be the most popular item and are one of our best marketing tools.

What is essentially an offshoot of my first ecommerce shop, The Foodnited States currently generates an extra 3-5K each month with only 11 U.S. States available so far.

how-chris-durso-started-a-custom-t-shirt-business-online

meet the author
Pat Walls

I'm Pat Walls and I created Starter Story - a website dedicated to helping people start businesses. We interview entrepreneurs from around the world about how they started and grew their businesses.